Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.
I’m glad I started transitioning away from being a public school teacher before I turned 55. I wrapped myself by in the role and it provided fulfillment. I never could get a healthy relationship with the school boards’ administration. And I like strong leadership! I don’t oppose authority just to get a rise out of ‘em. Unlike TS, I worked at low risk high schools (Maple HS was the exception).
The best times were when I worked directly with the teenagers and their parents! I found my peers in the last year of my job – the Special Education department (or whatever it’s now called in the York Region District School Board). That’s tough to square away with me. The vast majority of my fellow science teachers were orthodox, petty, and arrogant.
That phase is over. I might tutor teenagers at the local Lion’s Head, Wiarton, or Tobermory libraries. NeemTree firewood and cutlery sharpening services might also be a good fit for me.
Despite my difficulties as a public school teacher servant, I am grateful to the Ontario taxpayers for my generous salary and a solid pension. It’s allowed me to afford living off the grid as a gentleman forester, farmer, and rock-rancher.
By the way, Frank McCourt’s book, Teacher Man was a transformative 2005 memoir-essay for me. If you’re a guy who struggles in the classroom (and in the admin office), it’s worth a read.
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